The tax office is warning UK tax payers to be vigilant if they receive any suspicious emails asking for personal details.

Phishing scams are claiming to offer a tax rebate, but to get it you need to reply with your bank or credit card details. Other confidential information like your name, address and national insurance number can also be requested.

HMRC states it does not email anyone to tell them they are due a tax refund or tax rebate.

Warning:

If you reply to the email you are putting yourself at risk of being targeted by fraudsters.

HMRC have stated there has been a near 50% increase in tax rebate phishing emails being reported in the last three months. This coincides with the self assessment tax return deadline which is on the 31st January each tax year. It appears to be quite a big problem, with nearly 1500 websites sending out HMRC phishing emails being shut down in 2013 alone.

What should I do if I get an email saying it’s from HMRC and I’m due a tax refund?

Firstly don’t reply or click on any attachments or website links in the email. You should send the email to [email protected] so that HMRC can use it in its fight against the fraudsters.

You can find examples of the type of emails being sent here and further advice if you need it.

What if I have already replied to an HMRC phishing email?

If you have answered one of these emails you should forward the email and the information you  disclosed to [email protected].